


Don't Mind the Burn

by lady_krysis (saekhwa)



Category: The Losers (2010)
Genre: Canon Character of Color, Character of Color, Community: ante_up_losers, Dinner, Domestic, Families of Choice, Female Character of Color, Friendship, Gen, Gift Fic, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-26
Updated: 2011-01-26
Packaged: 2017-10-15 02:34:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/156132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saekhwa/pseuds/lady_krysis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of family dinners, potlucks, and get togethers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Mind the Burn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kisahawklin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kisahawklin/gifts).



> This fic takes place before the events of the film.

"Hey! What d'you _mean_?" Jensen asks, sliding the pizza boxes onto the counter.

"What do you mean what do I mean?" Pooch nudges one of the boxes, five of them stacked on top of each other like Jenga blocks. "You brought _pizza_ to a _family dinner_?"

"First, I thought you said potluck. Second." Jensen pulls out a slice with all the toppings. "We've got a good representation of the food pyramid. See those?" He points to a green pepper and then pops it into his mouth. "Those are vegetables. Yummy cheese-covered veggies."

Jolene laughs, Cougar quirks a grin, and Jensen is forever relegated to paper plates, cups and utensils.

~*~

Pooch slaps a hand to his forehead and groans.

Liz glances at Jensen, who shrugs. She shakes her head and turns back to Pooch. "What?"

"Is this a Jensen family thing?" Pooch asks, motioning to the boxes of pizza that Liz is setting on the kitchen counter. "Are you trying to drive the Pooch crazy?"

"Uh. Look." Liz props her elbows on the counter, and Jensen's trying his damnedest not to laugh when she fixes Pooch with her no-nonsense look. "If you're referring to yourself in the third person, you _might_ want to rethink that question."

"Thanks for coming," Jolene says, smiling as she pats the pizza boxes. "It's so good to finally meet you."

~*~

"What's this?" Clay asks, pointing to the list posted on the fridge, specifically the big, bold letters, underlined twice, that say **LIQUOR**.

"Nobody likes the cheap ass stuff you and Roque bring," Liz says, and claps her hands with a , "Yes!" when she wins another hand, gleefully gathering up her chips.

Roque is shaking his head and staring at the chips he's got left. "We can't afford the good stuff."

Liz rolls her eyes. "Bull."

Roque and Clay share a look, Clay answering with a grin and Roque answering by toying with one of his blue chips.

"Above our pay grade," Clay says.

Liz stacks her chips and grins, bright and fierce. "Who's deal?"

~*~

"No, no, no, I'm _fine_ ," Jolene giggles when Jensen tries to drag her out of the kitchen and include her in the reindeer games.

"Come on. You and Coug, man. You're always in the kitchen. Play a game."

Jolene shakes her head. "I don't— I can't play poker."

"She can't," Pooch says. "I've tried. How about Spades?"

"Lin, baby, no."

Jensen follows the look that they share and has to ask, "What? Why not Spades?"

Pooch shakes his head, and Liz laughs, smacking the table.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asks, grinning at Jolene.

Jensen looks around the room, at Clay and Roque and Cougar, and then folds his arms across his chest. "Doesn't look like it, sis."

Liz laughs harder and starts dealing. "She'd hand you your ass." Another glance at Jolene, who's retreating back to the kitchen, and Liz shakes her head. "She might even put a bow on it. You remember when I used to do that, Jensen."

"Hey!"

"Put bows in your hair?" Liz continues, the smile that she gives him downright _evil_.

~*~

Jolene and Cougar are in the kitchen when a little, blond-headed girl peeks around the corner, carrying a brown stuffed toy, and says, "Hi, my name is Beth."

Jolene and Cougar share a look, and then Cougar steps forward, crouching down to her eye level. "I'm Carlos." He offers Beth a smile and motions to Jolene. "This is Jolene."

Beth waves and holds up her stuffed toy, a brown puppy with large black eyes. "Hi, nice to meet you. This is George. He's happy to meet you, too."

"Hello, George," Cougar says, and Beth giggles.

Then she bounces forward with a squeal when Jolene opens the oven. "Are those cookies? Can I have one? Please?"

" _Hey_." Jensen ducks into the kitchen with a grin. "Guess you met my niece, and no, she cannot have a cookie."

"Uncle Jensen! Pretty, pretty, pretty please?"

~*~

"So," Roque asks. They're outside today, grilling steaks and vegetables, having a nice little picnic in the sunshine and fresh air. Beth is on the playground with Jolene and Cougar, 'cause they're her new bestest friends, and Liz 'cause she's the only one allowed to hold George. "Bows in your hair, man?"

Pooch snickers and bumps his fist with Cougar.

"Christ, Liz, I hate you!" Jensen shouts across the park.

~*~

"They were _manly_ bows," Jensen says, slapping the card to his forehead and hoping for something good. "The Army would have approved."

Pooch shakes his head. "Don't think so, buddy. Against regs."

"So's Clay's beard," Liz says, throwing a piece of lint at Pooch's head. "And just know, I _could_ have gone with a 'your mama' joke."

Everyone laughs at that with a collective, "Oooooh."

"Damn, man." Roque sets his money in the center — the Monopoly kind 'cause no one can afford to put up any real cash. "That's a burn."

"Yep. I'll have to confirm," Jensen says, "that _was_ a burn."

"Yeah, you got me this time." Pooch rubs his palms together. "But I'm gonna get you in this game."

Liz leans forward with a fierce grin and tosses her ponytail over her shoulder. "Bring it."


End file.
